(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - The Ketchikan District Attorney's office announced Friday that 32 year-old Jordan Joplin was indicted by a Ketchikan grand jury for the murder of Dr. Eric Garcia. Joplin was previously charged with theft in the first degree in April 2017 for allegedly stealing expensive items form Garcia's home and taking money from Garcia's bank account. In the most recent indictment, Joplin is charged with murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, and again with theft in the first degree.

According to the complaint filed on March 31, 2017, Joplin requested the Ketchikan Police Department to conduct a welfare check on Dr. Garcia. Joplin identified himself to the Ketchikan Police as a close friend of Dr. Garcia's who stays at his home when he visits Ketchikan. Joplin indicated that he has never been employed or lived in Ketchikan and only travels to Ketchikan to visit Dr. Garcia.

On March 27, 2017, officers of the Ketchikan Police Department discovered the body of Dr. Garcia in his Ketchikan home during a welfare check initiated at the behest of Joplin. On the date the body of Dr. Garcia was discover, Joplin was in possession of a truck belonging to Garcia, the key to the vehicle, and a set of keys to Garcia's home.

Subsequent investigation revealed that multiple items had been removed from Garcia's home. Ketchikan Police learned that Joplin had been in Ketchikan to visit Garcia on March 16, 2017, and that he left on March 17, 2017. Ketchikan Police later discovered that Joplin shipped approximately 4,415 pounds of household goods and personal affects through a local Ketchikan freight company to a Maple Valley, Washington address. Footage from the freight company showed Joplin using Dr. Garcia's truck to make four trips to the shipping location. Garcia was not in the truck with Joplin.

With a search warrant, three shipping containers were intercepted and held at Alaska Marine Lines facility in Seattle, Washington. The search revealed the containers held the missing items for Garcia's home as well as other documentation with Garcia's name. Recovered items identified as being stolen included high value distilled spirits, a portion of the collection of watches inside a display case, a portion of a coin collection, a flat screen TV, a desk top monio9r, tow laptop computers, one tablet, and miscellaneous household items. During the search of all three containers the only name identified on boxes or documents was tat of Eric Garcia. According to an earlier report by Seattle's KIRO7.com, Joplin allegedly stole more than $1 million in belongings from the Ketchikan home of Dr. Garcia including a gold and coin collection worth $500,000.

Ketchikan Police also executed search warrants for Garcia's financial records which revealed that approximately $37,000 of bank transfers had been made out of Garcia's account beginning March 16, 2017 to accounts associated with Joplin.

If convicted of murder in the first degree, Joplin faces a sentencing range of 30 to 99 years. If convicted of murder in the second degree Joplin faces a sentencing range of 20 to 99 years, and a maximum of 10 years if convicted of theft in the first degree.

The cause of Dr. Garcia's death was not included in the public documents released Friday.

The charges in the indictment are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Joplin is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trail at which the prosecution must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Joplin is currently being held on a $200,000 bail and a court approved third-party custodian.

Joplin is scheduled for arraignment before the Superior Court in Ketchikan on July 24, 2017.

Source of News:

Ketchikan District Attorney's Office

Ketchikan Police Departent

 

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